Critical Reasoning: Conclusion Weakening Questions

The use of drugs in sports is on the rise, most drugs having dosages of around ten 200mg pills a month at regular intervals. Drug manufacturers have reduced the time in which chemical compounds sought after by sports doping tests are broken up by physiological systems and released by the body to 48 hours. The International Professional Athletics Group plans on doubling the number of drug tests, originally numbering five, conducted during the last month before a competition, so that even advanced drugs are likely to be detected by the new testing methods.

Which of the following, if true, casts the most doubt regarding the effectiveness of the International Athletics Group's plan?

Incorrect.

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This answer choice neither strengthens nor weakens the conclusion. The fact that the illegal drugs are also detrimental to the athletes' health has nothing to do with the efficiency of the plan suggested by the International Professional Athletes Group.

Incorrect.

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This answer choice neither strengthens nor weakens the International Professional Athletics Group's plan. The argument, and more importantly the plan, do not include any remarks about expenses but only about the challenge of detecting drug use.

Incorrect.

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This answer choice neither strengthens nor weakens the plan. The plan deals with professional athletes so college athletes are out of the scope of the argument.

Incorrect.

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This answer choice neither strengthens nor weakens the International Professional Athletics Group's plan. The possible benefits drug manufacturers may enjoy due to more frequent tests have nothing to do with the efficiency of the new testing method.

Fantastic!

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This answer choice weakens the plan. If the athletes are allowed to decide when to be tested (personally), then they will be able to continue using the drugs without being caught.

The drugs only have to be taken about once every three days and they can't be detected after two days have passed. This means that an organized athlete will be able to arrange the tests in the 10 'clean' days of the month, which will allow him/her to use the drugs without getting caught.

A typical 200mg pill containing a compound for the improvement of physical performance can quite often produce a number of long-term side effects that cannot always be treated.

Companies that specialize in drug testing for sports competitions used to be paid by organizers per competition that they provided services for, but now charge per individual test that they administer, such tests being extremely expensive.

A study by a group of psychiatrists revealed that the testing for drugs severely affected the psychological state of athletes, and a law was passed allowing sports professionals to arrange the times of their drug examinations personally.

Even if more detections are made amongst professional athletes, it is likely, because of the immense pressure on them, that many college athletes will continue to use drugs to enhance their performance.

If the number of tests conducted during the last month before a competition is increased, drug producers will be able to raise the prices of the more sophisticated products, those that do not result in traces that last longer than 48 hours.